They continued to attend extra classes during the holidays, and Wan Qiu still did not give up the possibility of skipping a grade.
Wan Qiu noticed that Chu Yigui seemed to have started reading novels.
When Wan Qiu saw Chu Yigui, who usually only liked studying, often looking at her phone, she curiously craned her neck to take a look.
"Are you learning to write novels?" This was the only possibility Wan Qiu could think of.
“I understand that the content you’ve recorded in your notebook is, in my opinion, difficult to piece together into a complete novel.” Chu Yigui looked away from her phone.
After Wan Qiu had a frank discussion with Chu Yigui, he felt that the contents of the book were no longer so important.
"Do we really have to write the novel?" Wan Qiu asked hesitantly.
Chu Yigui paused, and after a long silence, he said, "I just want to know how lucky I am right now."
Wanqiu was puzzled.
"I don't want to suffer, but I can't help but understand suffering," Chu Yigui said slowly.
Wan Qiu looked at Chu Yigui and suddenly remembered what Yang Xiaoyu had said.
Yang Xiaoyu said that Chu Yigui is a very serious person.
This is probably what it means to be serious.
“But you look very unhappy,” Wan Qiu said.
Chu Yigui seemed to be studying something rather than reading a novel.
He doesn't seem to enjoy it at all.
“Wang Yue was always very happy when she talked about novels.” Wan Qiu could still recall Wang Yue’s expression.
They discussed the novel with great enthusiasm, their joy exploding like fireworks, their eyes brimming with delight.
"Hmm...it's still interesting." Chu Yigui rubbed his temples. "You can see all sorts of characters and different portrayals of the world...hmm..."
Wan Qiu vaguely felt that Chu Yigui probably didn't really like it.
Wan Qiu didn't seem to be denying it: "I just said that Wang Yue really likes it, and it was Wang Yue who suggested that I tell you about it."
Chu Yigui was taken aback: "She knew too?"
Wan Qiu shook his head. He didn't tell Wang Yue the specifics, but only what Wang Yue had complained about.
Chu Yigui watched as Wan Qiu rambled on about Wang Yue.
This friend, who was unrelated to him and whom he could not participate in, was actually influencing Wanqiu without him even realizing it.
Wanqiu was also helped.
It also indirectly helped him.
In a daze, Chu Yigui thought that perhaps he hadn't been involved in Wanqiu's entire life, and therefore didn't need to be so anxious and worried about being left behind by Wanqiu.
The one who was truly guided and grew alongside him was actually him.
"You've made a very interesting friend," Chu Yigui finally said.
Wan Qiu smiled and said, "Yes, Wang Yue is very interesting."
Even though it had nothing to do with him, Chu Yigui was happy to see Wan Qiu's smile.
Like an unnamed wildflower that occasionally blooms in the gap between the asphalt road and the curb, bringing a unique and subtle surprise to passersby.
Wan Qiu suddenly said, "If this were really a book, Wang Yue said I would definitely be the villain."
Chu Yigui thought for a moment and said, "We can't see the whole story, so we can't identify the main characters. It's also possible if it's an ensemble piece."
"Can a person who commits numerous evils also be the protagonist?" Wan Qiu concluded this assessment of himself in his notebook.
"Everyone is the protagonist of their own life."
"I see." Wan Qiu thought for a moment, then asked, "So, we can't tell if she's in a relationship or not?"
"in love?"
“At first, I asked Wang Yue what love was, and then she recommended these books to me,” Wan Qiu said truthfully.
Chu Yigui then realized that most of the content he had read involved romantic relationships.
Chu Yigui had never thought about being in a relationship.
Even though Wan Qiu mentioned it, he couldn't even connect Wan Qiu with romance.
"Not all novels have romance," Chu Yigui simply said. "Perhaps you'll recall some later."
Wan Qiu blinked and asked, "What would you do if you found out who your boyfriend is, Yi Gui?"
This is a difficult question to answer.
Chu Yigui thought for a long time but still couldn't give Wan Qiu a definite answer.
In the end, he simply said, "Perhaps only after knowing will we know what to do."
Wan Qiu only mentioned it casually, without insisting on getting an answer.
However, when Chu Yigui tapped her fingers on the article on her phone, she found that she could no longer read the text.
If a relationship is documented, is it possible to see Wanqiu's future relationship?
Chu Yigui could not imagine such a scene at all.
But for some reason, it's less like unimaginable and more like...
I don't want to imagine it.
"Wanqiu." Chu Yigui turned off her phone and suddenly turned to look at Wanqiu. "You said you transmigrated into a book, so did you also have a past life?"
Wan Qiu paused for a moment, then nodded.
Chu Yigui asked, "What was your past life like?"
Chu Yigui was also puzzled. If Wan Qiu had a past life, why would he look like this now?
Shouldn't someone with memories of two lifetimes be more intelligent?
Wan Qiu, however, sat cross-legged opposite Chu Yigui, carefully recalling: "I don't really remember things from my past life very clearly. It seems that the more I learn now, the less clear my memories of the past become."
"What do you remember?" Chu Yigui asked.
"I remember very clearly that I was left to die in the snow."
Suddenly, a roaring sound filled Chu Yigui's mind.
"What...does that mean?" Chu Yigui heard his own dry voice.
Wan Qiu keenly noticed the change in Chu Yigui's emotions and tried to comfort her: "Yigui?"
"Can you tell me clearly?" Chu Yigui grasped Wan Qiu's shoulder.
Wan Qiu didn't know why Chu Yigui suddenly became unhappy.
However, Wanqiu could sense Chu Yigui's urgent longing.
Wan Qiu organized his thoughts and slowly recounted his past life, which was no longer deeply ingrained in his memory and was only vaguely remembered.
Chu Yigui listened quietly.
He could only construct a small, crowded world in his mind.
Wanqiu barely managed to say anything substantial; most of his responses were just repetitive phrases.
The more blank the space, the more Chu Yigui could imagine Wanqiu being imprisoned.
The most vivid memory Wanqiu had was of the starry sky he saw after being abandoned in the snow.
That was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen since he was born.
At that time, he didn't even know what the sky was, what snow was, what cold was, or what death was.
In the end, Chu Yigui held Wanqiu in his arms.
Wan Qiu looked up, somewhat bewildered: "Aren't you going to listen?"
"That's enough." Chu Yigui's breath ruffled Wanqiu's hair.
No matter how much Wanqiu reminisces or how much he talks, there's nothing substantial left to say.
When Wan Qiu recounted the past, he spoke mostly in a calm tone.
Suffering became his norm.
Chu Yigui suddenly remembered the painting that Dr. Yan Hua had done for Wan Qiu.
Chu Yigui retrieved the old records and watched them repeatedly.
Chu Yigui became the first person to understand these paintings that Yan Hua and others could not comprehend.
Those black and red things represent darkness and blood.
That shape, which was once human but was ultimately covered up, was the once eternal... mother.
In those unpleasant, black paintings...
Chu Yigui witnessed Wanqiu's past life with her own eyes.
Only after learning about these things did Chu Yigui gradually realize that the harm they had done to Wanqiu was far greater than they knew.
What kind of suffering shaped this clarity that he relied on?
I originally thought my guilt towards Wan Qiu was only a small part.
Heartache, guilt, worry—countless complex emotions surged back into Chu Yigui's body.
Mixed with the pain that Chu Yigui couldn't help feeling.
In the desert, an oasis of hope, cherished and preserved, gives new life to those on the verge of death.
Those who are resurrected make a promise to Death to repay the gifts of nature.
In his desperate wanderings, he found a faith that belonged only to him.
——
Yang Xiaoyu was working when she suddenly received a message from someone who was particularly concerned about her.
I immediately stopped what I was doing, turned on my phone, and saw a message from Wan Qiu lying quietly in the group chat.
Wanqiu: Has my existence made you feel better?
Yang Xiaoyu raised her eyebrows.
Soon Wanqiu sent a new message.
Wanqiu: If I were a bad kid, the really, really bad kind, what would you all do?
Yang Xiaoyu didn't understand why Wan Qiu would suddenly send two strange messages. Instead of replying instantly as usual, Yang Xiaoyu called Chu Jianshu first.
The moment the call connected, Yang Xiaoyu asked, "Did you see the message my baby posted in the group? What happened? Did my baby do something bad?"
For some reason, Yang Xiaoyu's first reaction to the thought of Wan Qiu doing something bad was curiosity.
What kind of naughty things would her well-behaved baby do?
Chu Jianshu was silent for two seconds before saying, "No, Wanqiu and Yigui have been studying at home recently and rarely go out."
Yang Xiaoyu: "Then why did you suddenly have this brilliant idea at this particular time?"
Chu Jianshu answered directly, "I don't know."
Because the question was so abrupt and lacked context, it was impossible to make a judgment, so Yang Xiaoyu could only give a carefully considered reply.
Yang Xiaoyu: Because of my baby, I feel that everything is getting better.
Yang Xiaoyu: Mom is so happy that my baby is back.
Yang Xiaoyu: If my child does something wrong, I will always forgive them, no matter what it is.
Wanqiu quickly replied: It was an extremely outrageous thing.
Yang Xiaoyu couldn't imagine just how outrageous Wan Qiu's actions were.
Yang Xiaoyu: Honey, can you give me an example?
Wan Qiu didn't dare to give an example.
Wanqiu looked at the words he had written in his notebook and was completely at a loss.
Chu Zhang: Did Wanqiu, my little angel, do something naughty? Why didn't you take your older brother with you? Your older brother loves doing naughty things!
Chu Zhang: Wanqiu, is Wanqiu there?
Chu Jianshu: Tell me what happened, and I'll take a look at the details.
Yang Ze: I'll figure something out.
Yang Xiaoyu: Honey? Did you really do something bad? You have to tell Mommy everything, and you have to trust Mommy.
Chu Zhang: Even if the sky falls, Dad will hold it up. If Dad can't hold it up, there's still my brother!
Chu Jianshu: Wan Qiu, answer the phone.
Wanqiu didn't see the sudden commotion in the group chat, as her phone was on silent during her lunch break.
Wan Qiu had just woken up from her afternoon nap.
Suddenly there was a knock on Wanqiu's door, and Wanqiu got out of bed to open it.
Standing at the door was Butler Bai.
Butler Bai asked respectfully, "Wanqiu, is there something you need help with?"
Wan Qiu shook his head, somewhat bewildered.
"Excuse me, Butler Bai." Chu Yigui stood beside Butler Bai, turning his head to look at Wan Qiu. "Were you having a nightmare?"
Wan Qiu nodded.
"It's alright, it's probably just a nightmare," Chu Yigui said with a smile to Butler Bai. "I'll take good care of Wanqiu."
Butler Bai smiled at Chu Yigui and said, "Okay, thank you for your help."
Chu Yigui stood in front of Wan Qiu: "May I come in?"
Wan Qiu immediately moved aside.
Chu Yigui replied to the message in the group: Wanqiu just woke up from her afternoon nap. It seems she had a nightmare. Please don't worry, I'm here to comfort her.
Chu Zhang: Doing bad things in dreams, hahaha, does our little angel Wanqiu only dare to do bad things in dreams?
Yang Ze: Okay.
Yang Xiaoyu said a few words, but Chu Jianshu did not reply further.
Seeing that the group chat, which had been buzzing with excitement because of Wan Qiu's news, quickly cooled down after he posted it, Chu Yigui finally fixed his gaze back on Wan Qiu's face.
Wanqiu seemed to be in good spirits since he had just woken up from his afternoon nap.
On Wanqiu's bed, there was also a familiar notebook spread out.
"Did you dream about things in the book? Did 'Chu Wanqiu' do something bad?"
The information Wanqiu recorded about 'Chu Wanqiu' was mostly about doing bad things, but this was the first time Wanqiu had sent a message in the group asking for help as soon as he woke up.
This is a manifestation of insecurity.
He must have thought of something important that would directly affect Wanqiu's mood.
“He’s dead.” Wan Qiu pushed the notebook to Chu Yigui. “He…died in an empty alley.”
The writing in the notebook is somewhat messy.
Wan Qiu's feelings were complicated when he wrote these words.
'What bullshit about being from a wealthy family, what bullshit about feeling guilty? In the end, they still abandoned me, didn't they? If they really felt guilty, would they have abandoned me? Even if they gave away all their wealth, they should have let me have my way first!'
'Why did that damn guy get everything, while I ended up like this?'
'I was born trash, and even if you plastered me with gold, I'd still be trash.'
'Trash should die in the garbage dump, and then be destroyed along with the other trash.'
Chu Wanqiu was eventually found dead in a garbage dump.
It seems that 'Chu Wanqiu' never intended to live a good life from the very beginning.
He was distorted during the age when he most needed to be molded.
He oppresses others and wears down the patience of everyone around him, all in order to prove that what he believes is right.
He considered himself trash.
He believed he was beyond saving.
To this end, he did everything he could to achieve his desired outcome.
A tragic life and an extremely obsessive mindset ultimately shaped a tragic figure.
Chu Wanqiu died with a smile on his face, because he proved himself to be right.
Besides that, he wouldn't even accept any outcome.
From beginning to end, he was destroying himself.
This outcome is not surprising.
Chu Yigui raised his eyes and looked at Wan Qiu, only to find that Wan Qiu suddenly looked away after meeting his gaze.
Chu Yigui asked, "Is there anything that hasn't been written down yet?"
Wan Qiu's thoughts did not escape Chu Yigui's notice at all, and he nodded.
"What is it?" Chu Yigui pressed.
"He was killed in retaliation," Wan Qiu murmured, his head bowed like a child who had done something wrong, even if the wrongdoing had nothing to do with him.
"Retaliation?" Chu Yigui immediately understood. "Retaliation by me?"
Wan Qiu nodded.
Chu Yigui didn't find it strange.
He was willing to endure Chu Wanqiu's bullying, but he wouldn't endure it forever.
"If it were me, I would probably only tolerate him for seven years," Chu Yigui told Wan Qiu calmly.
Wan Qiu was stunned.
"I remember that sentence."
Wan Qiu picked up the notebook again and wrote down a sentence.
'I enjoyed seven years of your time, and I'm giving you seven years back. From now on, I won't give you another chance to humiliate me.'
Chu Yigui looked at the words and knew very well that these were the words he would say.
Now that things have come to this, even the last trace of doubt in Chu Yigui's heart has vanished.
Chu Yigui was still somewhat dazed.
He will only give 'Chu Wanqiu' seven years.
But now, he is willing to give Wanqiu his whole life.
"It really is a tragedy," Chu Yigui said slowly, without any surprise.
Wanqiu felt somewhat sad.
What he saw was not a real scene, but text.
In these words, he saw a person named 'Chu Wanqiu', whose life he himself denied.
He bore evil consequences, fell into the mud, and allowed filth and decay to erode the earth.
He did not sow seeds; he only spread the plague, harboring the greatest malice, hoping to perish with the world.
but……
None of his relatives are doing well.
The Chu family, after the death of 'Chu Wanqiu'.
It fell apart.
"Give me this notebook first." Chu Yigui gathered the notebook into her hands. "Is that alright?"
Wan Qiu nodded.
Although it's unclear what Chu Yigui intends to do with it.
Even though the notebook had been taken away, those suffocating words still lingered in Wan Qiu's mind.
As Wan Qiu was preparing for her afternoon tutoring session with Chu Yigui, she suddenly seemed to hear something.
"Baby, baby!!!"
As Wan Qiu approached from afar, he suddenly looked up, and at the same time, the study door was opened.
Yang Xiaoyu appeared at the door in a formal suit, looking hurried, clearly having just returned.
"Mommy's back, baby!" Yang Xiaoyu suddenly stepped forward and gave Wanqiu a big hug, so tight that Wanqiu was almost suffocating under her clothes.
"Mom?" Wan Qiu asked, bewildered, after being released. "Are you off work?"
"No, but our little one had a nightmare and wanted to ask Mommy for help. Of course, Mommy needs to focus on our little one more than work!"
Yang Xiaoyu gently rubbed and pinched Wan Qiu's cheeks while carefully examining Wan Qiu's complexion.
"You look a little pale. It must have been a nightmare that scared you, baby. What kind of nightmare was it? Tell me, and Mommy will chase it away for you!"
Wan Qiu vaguely felt that Yang Xiaoyu treated him as if he were a child.
But Wanqiu is almost an adult.
“Having nightmares is very common, there’s no need for Mom to come back because of this.” Wan Qiu hesitated, still not wanting to cause trouble for her family.
"That won't do, our baby's affairs are very important."
Yang Xiaoyu looked at Chu Yigui standing to the side. Although she also wanted to get closer to him, she...
However, there was no "but". Yang Xiaoyu also stepped forward and ruffled Chu Yigui's hair. Chu Yigui obediently lowered her head and let Yang Xiaoyu stroke her hair.
"You went to comfort Wanqiu as soon as you heard she had a nightmare. Thank you for your hard work, Yigui."
"It's what I should do," Chu Yigui said with a smile.
Wan Qiu felt that Yang Xiaoyu's actions should be called making a mountain out of a molehill.
But when Chu Jianshu and Yang Ze returned, Wan Qiu vaguely felt that she had really troubled a lot of people because of her little matter.
Even when Wan Qiu saw Chu Zhang and Zhao Xinghua appear in his field of vision together, his eyes widened.
“It’s so great that we’re staying in the city for this period of time.” Just like Yang Xiaoyu, Chu Zhang liked to give Wan Qiu a hug as soon as he arrived. “If we can’t even get a chance for our little angel to be cute, I’ll cry.”
Nestled in Chu Zhang's arms, Wan Qiu gazed longingly at the expressionless Zhao Xinghua, realizing that she too felt a sense of 'helplessness'.
Wanqiu thought it was just a simple message.
Wan Qiu never imagined that such a tentative inquiry was an attempt to gain love.
But everyone noticed.
Everyone has come back.
Even now, Wan Qiu still clearly remembers the dream she had during her short midday nap.
The disintegration of the Chu family was quiet.
Only a few simple lines of text remain in the silence.
Unlike the incessant complaining of 'Chu Wanqiu,' this was quiet as if there were no insignificant connections whatsoever.
There was no reason for them to communicate.
The building was sturdy, yet it collapsed silently.
Wanqiu looked at his family, who were now gathered together in a noisy commotion.
He quietly clenched his hands: "Mom and Dad, eldest brother, second brother...do you like me?"
"Of course, baby?"
"Who would you like if not our little angel?"
"Um."
"I like it."
The answer was given without hesitation.
At this moment, Wanqiu seemed to vaguely realize something.
"Even if it's because of me that Yi Gui isn't a child in the family, is that a good thing?"
Wan Qiu suddenly asked.
Chu Zhang pulled up a chair and sat down next to Wan Qiu: "What does it matter? Anyway, she hasn't left. I think it's better this way. At least we know what Yi Gui is thinking."
Yang Xiaoyu smiled and said to Wan Qiu, "Yi Gui hasn't left us. This is Yi Gui's choice, the most comfortable choice for Yi Gui."
"I'm stupid, unlike other kids..."
Wan Qiu's worries were completely outside the Chu family's comprehension.
Wanqiu received not comfort, but affirmation.
They thought Wanqiu was very smart.
"Have people become better since I came here?"
Feeling uneasy, Wan Qiu gripped the hem of her clothes.
He carefully observed the people around him, waiting for the answer.
It wasn't until Chu Jianshu spoke first that he said, "Wanqiu, thank you so much for coming back."
Chu Jianshu is not good at being sentimental.
This thank you comes from the bottom of my heart.
Suddenly, Wan Qiu understood what Chu Yigui had told him.
It turns out he represents something better.
'Chu Wanqiu' is truly dead in his own world; he lived a complete life as he had chosen to live.
What Wanqiu is experiencing and seeing now belongs to him.
For him, it was a 'better' life.
Wan Qiu knew clearly that he was Wan Qiu.
And this is where his life belongs.
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